Honeycomb Bars

The honeycomb bar is not exactly common, nor does it have an immediately recognizable taste, but that’s what makes this truly uncategorizable bar so wonderful. Almonds and dried cherries are encased in an orange-honey glaze and baked in a buttery sweet tart dough. We’re convinced that these almond bars, equally delicious for breakfast or dessert, will become part of your permanent repertoire.

Sweet tart dough freezes well. Make a double batch of the dough, wrap half of it tightly in a double layer of plastic wrap, and freeze it for future use.–Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito

LC Not A Granola Bar Note

Make no mistake, these are not granola bars. They’re impossibly more luxuriant with a wee pretense of healthfulness. And thank heavens for that.

Directions

Make the sweet tart dough

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until combined.

2. In a small bowl whisk together the heavy cream, egg yolk, and vanilla. Add this to the butter and sugar mixture and beat until incorporated. Scrape down the bowl and stir in the flour and salt until just combined.

3. Turn the mixture onto a lightly floured surface and form it into an oblong disk. Wrap the disk tightly in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

4. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter the sides and bottom of a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish or light-colored metal baking pan.

5. Roll out the dough into a large rectangle roughly the shape of the pan. Transfer the dough to the pan and press it into the bottom of the pan (do not press it up the sides). Don’t worry if you aren’t able to roll out a perfect crust. The dough is quite forgiving and can be pressed, in pieces, into the pan by hand.

6. Cover the dough with a sheet of parchment paper. Place dried beans or pie weights over the dough and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the beans and parchment paper and bake for another 5 minutes. Transfer the pan to a cooling rack. Keep the oven on while you make the filling.

Make the honeycomb bar filling

7. In a medium bowl, toss together the dried cherries, orange peel, flour, and salt. Set aside.

8. In a large saucepan over medium heat, stir together the sugar, heavy cream, honey, and butter. Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pan and bring the mixture to the soft ball stage, approximately 240°F (116°C) . Do not stir the mixture while it is coming to this stage.

9. Once the mixture reaches 240°F (116°C), add the brandy and remove the pan from the heat.

10. Fold the dry ingredients and the almonds into the hot sugar mixture and then scrape the mixture into the slightly cooled sweet tart crust. Spread the filling evenly, smoothing the top.

11. Bake for about 15 minutes or until the bar is golden and bubbly. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before cutting. (The bars can be stored at room temperature, covered and sealed, for up to 4 days.)

Testers Choice

I usually really like making bar recipes because they are quick and easy. You throw some ingredients into a bowl, mix, and throw into a pan. This recipe, however, requires a lot of components: One requires a hold time and another works directly with hot sugar syrup. So, attention must be paid while making this recipe. On the other hand, the reward is great. The flavors were delicious and the bars were quickly gone. I would make this recipe again.

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